Our Little Love Bug!
by Blackswan86
Summary: AU: Whatever the outcome, Emma/Neal's lives was about to change...
1. The Moment Of Truth

**Chapter One: The Moment Of Truth**

Emma was staring straight up at the ceiling in the tiny bedsit she shared with Neal anxiously waiting.

As the seconds ticked by Emma could feel her stomach turning, she felt sick. She had no idea what she was feeling. She could not even think straight with the persistent thumping of loud music vibrating through the walls from next door. Emma rubbed her temple as she desperately tried to collect her thoughts. Whatever the outcome, her life was about to change.

Her phone beeped loudly to let her know the time was up. She took a deep breath and sat up on the bed. It was the moment of truth. Her hand shook as she lifted up the white stick. Her eyes widened when she saw the one thing she was dreading but half expecting. _'Pregnant'_

After mad panic and three pregnancy tests later, it was the same result. Emma put her head in her hands. "Oh shit," She whispered. She couldn't believe it. She was pregnant. How could they have been so reckless? They were far too young. How could they cope with a baby? They barely had enough money to look after themselves.

Her eyes burned as tears began to roll down her cheeks as she thought about the heartbreaking situation she had got herself into. What were they going to do?

Emma began to stand up slowly from the bed. Her legs began to shake a little. Her body was still in shock. Using the wall as support she made her way over to the bathroom.

Turning on light, she closed the door behind her, locking it. She looked into the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red and patchy. She took off her glasses so she could wipe away the thick smudged mascara from under her eyes. Picking up a damp cloth next to the sink she started to wash away her remaining tears.

Once her face was clean, Emma looked at her reflection in the mirror. How could she be pregnant? She did not look any different. The reflection in the mirror looked just as terrified as her. She couldn't look after a child; she was barely an adult.

Emma had no idea what she was going to do. She knew she would not be able to bring herself to get rid of it. But the thought of keeping it terrified her more. Maybe this was how her own mother had felt with her. Emma had always wondered how her parents could have been so selfish. She was angry at herself for letting the same dilemma happen to her.

Emma took another deep breath and lifted up her vest top just above her torso. She looked at her stomach in the mirror. Even though her abdomen was still pretty flat and firm she was convinced she could see a small bulge. She gently ran her fingers over her stomach. Her touch tickled her skin.

All of sudden the fear and anxiety faded away. Emma had prepared herself for a massive breakdown. She had expected more tears and panic, but nothing. She felt something new, something she could not explain. She looked down at her hand which was still resting on her bare stomach. Emma anxiously bit her lip. She was overcome with a wave of love for this tiny life growing inside her.

"I promise I'll give you, your best shot," She whispered, feeling slightly silly that she actually talking to her belly.

Emma's eyes began to fill with fresh tears which were mixture of love and fear. She sighed as she lowered her top back down.

Whatever happened now Emma knew she would do everything she could to protect the tiny life they had created.

Suddenly she heard a key turning in the lock and front door open.

"Hey Babe." Neal called out as he entered the apartment. He was carrying a bag of groceries and a small bunch of flowers.

Emma took a moment to mentally prepare herself before unlocking the bathroom door. She cautiously made her way back into the room leaning against the wall for support.

Neal turned round and looked at her, smiling. "I got these for you," He grinned. His eyes lit up as he passed the gift to Emma. Neal watched as Emma's eyes looked over the flowers. He could tell something was wrong but chose to ignore it.

"I heard you being sick this morning, thought they would make you feel better." He smiled

"Thank you." She weakly replied. The smitten love in his eyes was making her feel ten times worse. She was scared to tell him. Terrified he would leave her; she knew she could not do this alone. She needed him.

Emma looked away, nervously biting her lip again, taking another deep breath. Here goes nothing

"Neal. I have something I need to tell you…"


	2. Are you sure this is what you want?

**Hey, thank you for the reviews and follows... Hope you enjoy the next chapter. **

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**Are you sure this is what you want?**

Neal's brown eyes studied her nervous green ones. He had never seen Emma like this. Her eyes were red; it was obvious that she had been crying.

His mind went into overdrive. Neal desperately tried to think of what could be troubling her. Tallahassee might not have been exactly how they imagine it, but he was trying his best to provide for them. He opened his mouth to speak, but he had no idea what to say. Emma put her finger to his lips to hush him. She took hold of his hand and led him over to the bed.

They sat side by side at the end of the bed. Neal kept his eyes on her. He had never seen her looking so anxious. She was always so confident and carefree. Something was seriously wrong.

Emma felt her stomach turn with nerves as her eyes met his. She loved him so much. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was surprised he couldn't hear it.

Emma could not stop herself bursting into tears. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Instantly Neal wrapped his arms around her with a look of confusion on his face. _What was going on?_

He leant back to look at her. His brow furrowed "Emma, what is it?" He asked curiously. He gently reached up and rubbed his thumb over her tear-stained cheek, wiping away her tears.

Emma chewed her lower lip and looked up at him. She realised how awful she must had looked. She felt guilty when she saw the concerned look on his face.

"Come on Babe, you're kind of scaring me here." He laughed nervously. However his voice was full of worry. Emma had a strange look in her eyes that Neal did not recognise.

Emma took a deep trembling breath. "Neal," she said shyly, her voice fearful. "I'm pregnant."

Neal's eyes widen as he looked at Emma in shock. Surely he had miss heard. His hand dropped from her face. He sat there completely motionless.

An awkward silence filled the room. Emma glanced at him anxiously waiting his response. She watched as Neal tried to digest the bombshell she had just dropped.

"Pregnant… as in baby... Pregnant.. wow…" He stuttered and blinked several times. He was not expecting that.

Emma nodded. She could not tell from the tone of his voice how he feeling. She desperately looked at him searching for a clue on how was taking the news. He still had his arm wrapped around her tightly which Emma took as a good sign even though he refused to meet her eyes.

"How?" Neal breathed out.

Emma looked at him in disbelief. She was not sure whether to laugh or cry. "Really? I think you know how." She sarcastically replied raising her eyebrow at him.

Neal looked up at her. "No Babe I meant…" He paused; he wasn't entirely sure what he actually meant. "Are you sure you're pregnant?" He asked.

Emma bit her lip and nodded. "I'm late, I've been sick and I've taken three pregnancy tests which were all positive, so yeah I'm pretty sure." Tears began to fall from her eyes again. She was surprised had anymore tears left.

"I'm sorry Neal," She whispered.

"Hey, come here." Neal said as he pulled Emma into his arms. He cradled her close to him. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He whispered into her ear.

He gently rocked Emma back and forth, struggling to get her to stop crying. He leant back a bit so he could wipe away the tears from her face.

"What are we going to do?" She mumbled quietly.

"We don't have to decide anything right now." Neal replied taking her in his arms again. He held her close to him as she sobbed quietly into the creek of his neck. He cradled her until her body finally relaxed against his.

"I love you Emma Swan, no matter what you decide to do," He whispered.

"Thank-you" she sniffed quietly.

"What for?" he said, bemused.

"For being you," She smiled.

"You're welcome." He chuckled lightly.

Emma finally managed to gain her composure. She knew getting herself stressed would not be good for the baby. _Baby_! She still could not believe it. A small smile crept onto her face. _Their baby. _Emma knew she had some tough decisions to make but she needed to know who Neal really felt.

She slowly sat up breaking away from him slightly. She turned her head and looked into his eyes. Neal could see her eyes were filled with apprehension and fear.

"What would think if I said I wanted this baby?" She shyly asked her eyes dropping to the floor. His answer terrified her but she needed to know. She needed him to say he wanted their baby.

Neal took a deep breath. "Emma…I…" He was struggling to put his thoughts into words. He was still processing it all in head. He was finding it difficult to support them with the pitfall money he made at his job. If it wasn't for the left over money from the watches he did not how they were managing to survive and going back to stealing wasn't an option now. Not with baby.

"I only make enough money for our food and clothes, but if you want this baby than… Then I will love you and the baby every day of my life." He gently took Emma's face in his hands.

"All I want is for you to be happy. That's all that matters. But like I said it's up to you. I'll stand by you through it all… I'll be there for you; if you want this baby then I want it too." He said softly.

Emma gazed at him in awe. Normally she made fun of his little embarrassing speeches but she just stared at him speechless. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she felt overcome with love for him.

She softly put her hand of his cheek. "I love you," she whispered. She nervously took his hand in hers. She placed his hand lightly on top of her belly.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked.

Neal looked down at Emma's stomach. His mischievous grin slowly appeared on his face. He slowly nodded and looked back at Emma. "I want our baby," He whispered.

Emma threw her arms round his neck and pressed her lips to his.


	3. Getting Carried Away

**Hey, Thank you all for the reviews and follows... hope you all had a good Christmas... sorry for the long delay in updating.. hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

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**Getting Carried Away**

The early morning sunlight began peeking through the bedroom curtains turning the small apartment into a golden light.

Emma's eyes flickered as she began to wake. Even though she still felt exhausted Emma slowly opened her eyes. Untangling her arms from around her body she stretched out across the bed. She smiled when her hands found a warm bare chest lying next to her. She rolled over to face the man laying beside her.

"Good Morning," She whispered and wrapped her arms around Neal. Emma snuggled closer to his body taking comfort in his warm presence.

Neal returned the warm embrace. He gazed at her admiringly. "Morning Babe." He softly replied into her ear. He smirked when he felt her body shiver at the sound of his voice.

They laid wrapped up in each other arms enjoying the warmth of their bodies. Emma had her head on Neal's chest listening to the steady beat of his heart. She could have happily stayed like this forever. They never got to have moments like this when they were on the road, so they took their time to enjoy them.

Neal gently moved his hand to Emma's face. His fingers brushed over her cheek down towards her chin. He softly lifted her chin up towards him until their lips met. His lips lazily brushed over Emma's as he softly kissed her. After a few minutes Emma began to pull away from the kiss

"Hey!" Neal protested pulling her closer to him "Where do you think you're going?" He jokingly asked making her giggle.

"I don't want us getting carried away," Emma laughed as she tried to wiggle free from his arms.

"I think it's a little bit late for that." He smiled as he mischievously looked down to Emma's stomach then back up. She playfully slapped his chest making him laugh.

Neal slid his hands round Emma's waist and pulled her even closer. "I love you." He whispered into her ear.

Neal hungrily kissed her again. Emma's fingers dug into his messy hair as the kiss grew more passionate. She was getting lost in the moment. His mouth on to move onto her neck as he slowly began to make his way down her body. All of sudden Emma firmly pushed him away.

"Emma what the…?!" Neal groaned.

Emma quickly swung her legs out of the bed. She rushed to the bathroom with her hand covering her mouth, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh great!" Neal moaned and collapsed back down onto his side of the bed.

Emma collapsed onto the cold tiled bathroom floor. She knelt over the toilet just in time as she threw up. _Great timing kid! _She groaned to herself as she felt her stomach heave again.

"Emma… babe.. Are you ok?" Neal called out as he timidly knocked the bathroom door.

"Go away." Was the sharp reply from the other side of the door.

"Emma, come on…" Neal called back.

"I don't want you to see me like this." Emma whimpered.

"Babes… I'm sure you look…." Neal stopped mid sentence when he heard her loudly throwing up again.

When it appeared that she had finished he knocked the door again. "I've got you a glass of water." He said hoping this would convince her to let him in.

"Ok," came the small reply making him smile.

Neal slowing opened the door. Emma was crouched over the toilet bowl. Her face was pale and there were small beads of sweat on her forehead.

"See you look gorgeous." Neal smiled with a twinkle in his eye. Emma raised her eyebrow at him before vomiting again.

Neal quickly put the glass down on the side and joined her on the floor. He gently held her hair back, out of her face. "It's ok," He whispered as he soothingly rubbed her back.

Emma attempted to look at Neal. She felt so embarrassed that he had seen her in this state, however the fact he was here made her feel slightly better. She leaned back resting against the wall. Neal quickly passed the glass of water to her. Emma gently took a sip.

"Could you give me a minute?" She quietly asked.

Neal smiled and nodded. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He replied before leaving the bathroom.

Emma quickly bathed her face under the cool tap. She pulled her hair pack into a ponytail. Emma sighed in relief that it seemed her stomach had finally settled.

She could hear the soft sound of the radio coming from the kitchen and the kettle boiling in the background. Emma quietly emerged from the bathroom. She was still dabbing her face and her breath now smelt of the minty toothpaste.

She stood for a moment and watched Neal rushing around the kitchen desperately trying to find some plates. She smiled to herself, she had never seen him making such a fuss. Emma cleared her throat to let Neal know she was there. He instantly stopped what he was doing and turned to face her.

"Hey, are you feeling ok now?" He asked. Emma just smiled and nodded.

"I thought you would like some breakfast." He said smiling at her. She was just about to protest when her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Looks like I was right." He laughed and winked at her.

Emma rolled her eyes, _how could she possibly be hungry after being so sick?_

"Maybe... I'll just have some toast." She replied.

After breakfast they were both still sitting at the kitchen table. Emma was quietly nursing her mug in her hand.

"Emma… I was thinking… I'm going to book a doctor's appointment for you… you know… just to confirm you're pregnant." Neal said.

Emma frowned at him, _even after this morning he still didn't believe her, _she angrily thought to herself.

"I mean I know you're pregnant… Well I hope so cos my kisses never made you sick before," He nervously chuckled. He could sense he might have upset her.

"Neal…"

"I just want to make sure everything is ok, you know with you and the baby. I'll come with you to the appointment… Emma I meant what I said last night I'll stand by you no matter what… I'll be here for you and the baby." He said softly.

Emma got up from her chair and made her way over to him. She sat down on his lap and placed her hand softly onto his cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

She kissed him again, however this time she did not want to pull away from him.

"Maybe we could finish what we started this morning?" She asked playfully raising her eyebrow.

A huge smile lit up the features on Neal's face. "We wouldn't want to get too carried away now." He replied mocking her.

"You right we wouldn't want that," She replied trying to hide the smile which was creeping onto her face.

"Well, maybe just this once," Neal laughed as he swept Emma up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. The sounds of their laughter filled the room.


	4. What to expect when your expecting

**Thanks for all the great reviews I really appreciate the feedback. I have the next few chapters planned out and the answers to some of your questions will slowly be revealed..**

**Anyway hope you like the next chapter I look forward to hearing your views. **

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**What to Expect when you Expecting**

The strange smell of the doctor's clinic made Emma feel nauseous. She sat uncomfortable in her chair as she nervously toyed with the buttons on her jacket.

Even though she already knew she was pregnant just being here at the clinic made it all seemed more real. Emma kept her eyes to the floor, she felt slightly embarrassed by the knowing looks she was getting from the other patients in the waiting room.

Neal sat in the chair next to her. She watched as his leg jiggled up and down. He was unable to sit still. Emma took a small comfort in the fact he was just as nervy as she was. They sat in silence, for the first time in their relationship neither of them knew what to say.

The sound of his fingers tapping his knee was slowly starting to irate her. She reached over and took his hand in hers, just to stop the annoying tapping. Emma smiled when she felt Neal squeeze her hand reassuringly.

They had agreed in the car that Neal would go with her to the clinic but she would see the doctor alone. As much as Neal wanted to be there for her, she was anxious enough without having to worry about him as well. As the seconds ticked by Emma could feel her stomach tighten.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Neal said breaking the awkward silence.

"I'll be ok... anyway I don't want you in there when I'm discussing..." Emma lowered her voice to a whisper, "women things."

Neal snorted a little. "Ok but the offer is there… try and relax." He said as his smile grew.

Emma rolled her eyes. Maybe she was over thinking everything but she was scared. She couldn't remember the last time she had visited a doctor. She was just about to respond to Neal when a voice called out her name.

"Miss Swan?"

Emma nervously looked up at the older woman standing in front of her.

The nurse smiled warmly. "Dr Anders will see you now."

Emma's eyes widen a little with panic. She felt Neal raise her hand to his lips as he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. "It will be ok hun." He whispered.

Emma took a deep breath and followed the nurse out of the waiting room. As she began to make her way down the hall she started to regret her decision of not having Neal there with her.

The nurse gently placed her hand on Emma's shoulder as they reached the door. Emma smiled politely at the nurse before taking a deep breath. She nervously opened the door and entered the room.

The doctor smiled at Emma and indicated her to take a seat on the clinic bed. Emma shuffled her way over to the bed. Her eyes stayed fixed to the floor.

Doctor Anders looked at Emma for a second. She could sense the young girl was frightened. She sighed; she had seen many young girls in the same position as one in front of her.

"So, Miss Swan, what can I help with?" Doctor Anders asked kindly.

Emma bit her lip before taking another deep breath.

"Um… well I think.. I know… I.." She struggled to find her words. All of sudden she had found herself to scared to admit she was pregnant. She looked up from the floor. _Get it together Swan! _She mentally cursed herself, she was being ridiculous.

Doctor Anders continued to smile and wait for Emma to answer the question.

"I'm pregnant." Emma blurted out.

"Oh, I see," Doctor Anders replied calmly. "And how do you feel about the pregnancy Miss Swan?"

"Honestly I'm terrified," Emma admitted. This was the reason she did not want to Neal to come in with her, she did not want him to know how frightened she felt about pregnancy.

"That is understandable, it natural to be anxious." The doctor replied.

Emma rolled her eyes. _That is an understatement_ she thought to herself.

"Have you thought on how you wish to proceed with your pregnancy?" Emma looked confused by the question.

"Have you thought about the options available to you?" Doctor Anders asked again.

Emma looked at the doctor in shock her hand instantly covered her stomach protecting the tiny life inside.

"Yes! I'm keeping my baby," She replied proudly.

Doctor Anders nodded. "And you have support from the father and from family?" She asked.

"Yes the father will be involved," Emma answered quickly hoping the doctor would not pry too much into her family or lack of it.

Doctor Anders smiled again. "Sorry for all the questions Miss Swan, I just need to be clear on what you wanted to do."

Emma felt her body relax for a moment; however her hand refused to drop from her stomach.

"Just a few more questions, if that's ok?" Emma nervously smiled and nodded.

"Ok, when was your last period?"

Emma was startled by the question. She honestly did not know the answer. She rarely paid any attention to dates while they were on the road.

"Um… about eight weeks ago.. I think…"

Doctor raised her eyebrow at the answer however continued with the questions. "Any family history of disease or genetic conditions?" She asked.

Emma started to become uncomfortable again. "Not that I'm aware of." She lied, she had no idea. She watched as the doctor scribbled down notes.

"How about your lifestyle? Do you drink? Smoke? Drugs?"

"No none." Emma tried to answer all the questions the best she could. Everything started to seem very real, very fast.

"Ok, that's all the questions, if you just lie back on the bed so I can give you a quick check up."

The doctor began checking Emma's blood pressure and took a blood test. Also she gave Emma's leaflets on what to expect during her pregnancy. Emma quickly flicked through them, she did not realise how much there was to take in.

She thanked Doctor Anders before leaving. Once outside the room she breathed a sigh of relief.

Neal was now waiting outside in the yellow bug. After Emma had gone in with the doctor he decided he needed some fresh air.

He nervously tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Emma had been over an hour, he hoped she was ok. He was annoyed with himself; he should have gone in with her. But he understood that she needed to see the doctor alone.

He was about to look at his watch again for the thousandth time when something caught his eye in the rear view mirror. Quickly he spun his head round to look behind him.

There was nothing there. Neal sworn he had seen something in the mirror. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. _You're just being paranoid, get it together. _

All sudden Emma appeared out of the clinic. Neal felt heart race when he saw her. He smiled, she was so beautiful. The fact she was carrying his child made his heart swell with love. _A baby. Emma was going to have a baby. Their baby. How did I get this lucky? _He thought to himself.

"Hey," He grinned as Emma opened the passenger door and climbed into the seat.

He leaned over and softly kissed her. "Well?" He asked still smiling.

"Everything is fine, we're both fine," She smiled. Neal sighed in relief.

"We have our first ultrasound in a few weeks," She grinned excitedly as her eyes lit up.

"Really?" Neal asked surprised "Wow." He smiled, they were really doing this, they were having a baby.

"And you can come to that appointment," Emma quickly added. Her heart raced when she saw his whole face light up. Neal leaned over and kissed her again.

"Oh and we have some leaflets to look at." She said passing them to Neal.

"What to expect when you expecting?" Neal laughed and quickly flicked through the pages.

"How do you intend to feed your baby?" He looked up puzzled. Emma raised her eyebrow.

"Oh." Neal said as looked at the pictures turning his head slightly. Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"We're having a baby," Neal grinned.

"Yes we are." Emma beamed as she excitedly bounced up and down on the seat.

Neal started the car and began to make his way out of the car park. He could not help but have that strange feeling they were being watched. His eyes scanned the car mirror again.

"Hey, eyes on the road Cassidy," Emma laughed.

"Sorry," He replied.

_It's probably just your imagination. _He thought and started to pay attention to the road ahead.


	5. The Calm Before The Storm

**Thanks for all the great reviews... I enjoy reading your feedback. **

**Meresger: I really like your theory about August and book... I also think he arranged for Henry being adopted by Regina as Gold did not get his memories back until he heard Emma's name... I plan to go down a different route in this story. **

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter. **

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**The calm before the storm**

The yellow bug pulled up outside their apartment building. Dark clouds now filled the sky. There was a small rumble of thunder in the air before the rain began to fall.

Neal switched off the car engine and turned to face his girlfriend. Emma sat peacefully in the passenger seat; she was still smiling from earlier. The rain was now coming down heavy. Neal gazed at her for a moment. He could swear she was glowing.

"Why don't you go inside while I'll go and get us some food." He said as his eyes lowered down to her stomach "This little one must be hungry." He smiled at her belly.

"I would like that." Emma beamed at him.

Neal raised his eyes up to meet hers. "I'll be half an hour tops." He replied.

Emma bit her lip gently before nodding her head. Maybe it was just her hormones but for some reason she did not want to Neal to go, even though it was only for a short while and she was feeling rather hungry.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly. Neal raised his hand to her face and brushed his thumb slowly over her cheek. It did not take long until the kiss became more passionate. Emma giggled lightly when she heard Neal groan in frustration as she slowly pulled away from him.

"Don't be too long." She whispered into his ear. Emma leaned back and gave him a suggestive smile as she playfully raised her eyebrow.

"Oh I won't." He cheekily grinned and winked.

Emma opened the car door and made a run for it. Neal watched until Emma was safely inside the building. He could not seem to shake off the strange feeling from earlier. He started the engine again. Sooner he got back to her the better.

Emma made her way up the stairs to their apartment. She was rummaging round her bag searching for her keys. All of a sudden her foot hit something solid.

"What the…" She began to say as she looked up from her bag.

There in the middle of the hall was a large brown book. She bent down and picked it up. Her eyes looked over the leather cover. 'Once Upon A Time' was written in gold lettering across the front. Emma looked up to see if anyone else was around. _Someone must have left it by mistake, _she thought to herself.

She quickly flicked the pages; she smiled when she saw pictures of characters she remembered from her childhood.

"Oh well… finders keepers," She said out loud before opening the door. Emma step into the apartment locking the door behind her. She placed the book down on the side unit.

"God, it's cold in here." She shivered as she took off her jacket. Emma turned on the light and made her way over to the open window. She shook her head; she could have sworn she closed it before they left. _Must have baby brain already,_ She smiled to herself.

Taking the leaflets out of her pocket Emma took a seat on the sofa. She nervously chewed her lower lip again as she began reading them. She had just got her head around the idea of having a baby but she hadn't even considered how it would affect her physically and emotionally. The doubts of whether she could really do this slowly began to creep their way back into her mind.

Emma jumped a little when she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Neal entered the apartment carrying some bags.

"Babe, I'm home." He called out placing the bags down on the table.

Emma got up from the sofa and made her way over to him. She gazed at him. His hair was damp and dishevelled from the rain. Neal stared back at her, brown eyes met green ones.

"I hurried back," he smiled and winked. Emma laughed and let him pull her into arms.

His lips hungrily met hers. Emma sighed a little has they pulled away from each other. She could have happily got lost in the moment. Neal smiled and gently nuzzled his nose against hers before holding her in another warm embrace.

Something over Neal's shoulder caught Emma's eye. "What's that?" She asked pulling away from his arms. Next to the takeaway bag was a small brown fluffy teddy bear. Emma stared at Neal with one eyebrow raised.

"There was a guy selling them outside… I thought I'll get one… you know for the baby." Neal stuttered his cheeks where now a light shade of pink. "It's dumb I know," he laughed. Neal wasn't very good at things like this but he wanted to show her he was trying.

"Are you blushing?" Emma asked in amusement.

"No...Well… kind of?" Neal smiled shyly, this was so unlike him. _This baby is making me soft. _He thought to himself. All of sudden Emma burst into laughter.

"Hey, what's so funny?" He asked puzzled.

"You!" Emma answered cheekily still laughing at him. "You look so cute when you're all embarrassed." She smiled.

"I'm not embarrassed." Neal protested.

"Aw bless has my big strong man gone all soppy?" Emma mocked.

"Right come here." Neal said trying to grab her. Still laughing Emma made a run for it.

"Yeah you better run Swan." Neal playfully threatened as he started to chase after her. They both darted round the apartment laughing. Eventually Neal caught Emma. He wrapped his arms around her gently and pulled her down onto the sofa. Their lips crashed against each other's.

Emma snuggled closer to him. "I was thinking of having a shower before warming up some food." She said. Emma was starting to feel hungry again but she wanted to freshen herself up a little first.

"Want me to shower with you?" Neal asked giving Emma that knowing smile. Emma grinned and nodded.

Neal was just about to follow her to the bathroom when he saw the book resting on the side unit. His eyes widened and his heart started to pound hard in his chest.

"Babe, what's that?" Neal asked trying his best to hide the fear in his voice.

"I found it outside, someone must have left it." Emma called out from the bathroom.

"You wanna keep it?" He questioned.

"Yeah, why not. It's just some fairy-tales." Came her reply from the bathroom. The sound of the shower filled the room.

Neal's hand shook as he reached out and flicked to the last few pages of the book. His heart dropped when he saw the picture of a small baby wrapped in a knitted blanket. The name 'Emma' was sown across the front. He looked over his shoulder to make sure Emma was out of sight. He quickly tore out the last pages and stuffed them into his back pocket.

"Are you coming?" Emma asked.

Neal turned round to see her leaning against the doorway; wearing only a towel. Her golden hair flowed down her back. She had removed her glasses and her eyes shone a bright emerald-green.

_She so beautiful,_ he smiled to himself. "I love you… you know that right?" Neal said.

Emma nodded slightly confused by the tone in his voice. "Why don't you come in here and show me how much you love me." She laughed mischievously.

Neal smiled and made his way over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.


	6. You're really in there aren't you?

**A very big thank-you to all my reviewers. Your comments are all so encouraging and greatly appreciated, I can't seem to stop writing this story at the moment, I have the next few chapters already planned out... Hope you continue reading.**

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**"You're really in there aren't you?"**

The last few weeks had been a horrendous for Emma. Her hormones had been all over the place. She would find herself randomly getting upset over silly things. Yesterday she started crying over the fact she had dropped a pint of milk over the floor.

The morning sickness had gotten worse. It seemed to happen late at night causing her not to get much sleep. She was so exhausted.

She ached all over and her body felt tender and sore. Neal had tried to be supportive but Emma had found him more irritating than helpful. She also did not find his cheeky comments about her breasts getting bigger at all funny. She knew it was just her body getting used to its new role but it was so painful.

Emma shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Today she would see her baby… Their baby. After today it would be real. There was no going back. She gently placed her hand on her slightly swollen stomach. The tiny bump had started to show a little over the last few days. Even though she was still terrified she now had a strong urge to protect their unborn child.

She began nervously chewing on her lower lip. She had read up on all the information on what to expect at her first scan but she was still restless. Neal on the other hand was overly excited.

"Babe you ok?" Neal asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Emma gently nodded her head. Neal smiled at her before leaning forward and placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Miss Swan," a young nurse called out to the waiting room.

Neal instantly jumped up from his seat making Emma laugh a reached his hand out to her. Taking a deep breath Emma placed her hand in his and began to stand up slowly.

"Would you like to come through," The nurse smiled.

Both Emma and Neal followed the nurse out of the waiting room. Emma continued to hold Neal's hand tightly. She could hear her heart pounding hard in her chest as they entered the hospital room.

The nurse smiled again and indicated for her to take a seat. Emma climbed onto the reclining hospital bed. Her heart was now racing faster and faster, she felt like it was going to burst. Neal took a seat on the chair next to the bed. Emma instantly reached out and took his hand again. She did not want to break physical contact with him.

"Doctor Anders will be with shortly," the nurse said before leaving the room.

"Hey, try to relax hun, everything will be ok." Neal said reassuringly as he kissed her hand

"Easier said than done," Emma replied.

"Hello again Emma," Doctor Anders cheerfully said as she entered the room. "And this must be..." Doctor Anders looked over at the slightly older man next to Emma.

"I'm Neal… I'm the father." Neal beamed as she shook the doctor's hand. Emma tried her best to resist rolling her eyes

"So, how are we all doing?" Doctor Anders asked smiling at them.

"We're good." Emma answered while Neal just nodded.

"Last time I saw you, you were suffering with morning sickness, has the eased off a little now?" Doctor Anders asked as she checked her notes.

"Yes, a little." Emma replied. It wasn't an exact lie, the morning sickness had been better over the last few days.

"OK Emma, so according to the notes you should be about twelve weeks I believe." The Doctor said smiling.

Emma nodded her head and gazed intently at her stomach. Doctor Anders noticed the young girl biting her lip and her cheeks turning a shade of pink. It was clear Emma was unsure how far along she really was.

"Well we'll soon find out for sure." Doctor Anders smiled at Emma.

"Really? You can tell that from the scan?" Neal asked surprised.

"Yes, we should be able to work out the conception and due date." Doctor Anders replied.

Neal smiled at Emma who just shook her head. Obviously Neal had lied to her when he said he had read up about the first scan too.

"Why don't we get started?" The doctor turned away for a moment.

Emma looked up nervously at Neal. They both shared a warm smile at each other.

"OK Emma if you could just lift your top up for me."

Emma instantly pulled her top up revealing a tiny bump. She also lowered her skirt down a little. The doctor squeezed the cold gel on her stomach, making her jump in surprise.

"Sorry, it is a little cold," Doctor Anders gently laughed as she spread the gel across Emma's skin.

"You ok babe?" Neal whispered into her ear sensing her discomfort. Emma nervously looked at him. Neal smiled gently at her and brushed her cheek with his other hand.

"There we are Emma, there is your baby."

Emma's eyes quickly looked over to the monitor. Neal followed Emma's gaze. He grinned at the screen. His heart began to race and his eyes lit up in wonderment.

Emma didn't show any emotions for a few seconds, only gazed unblinkingly at the screen. Then she slowly let a small smile grace her lips. "That's our baby," she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Yeah babe, that's our baby," Neal replied with a small laugh and kissed the top of her head. Emma's did not let her eyes leave the image on the screen. Even though it was a tiny splodge on the monitor it was still her baby.

"And there is heartbeat." Doctor Anders smiled at them.

The most wonderful noise that the young couple had ever heard filled the room. In that moment nothing else mattered.

"Wow," Emma breathed out. She was so amazed. This was her baby inside her.

"You're really in there aren't you?" She laughed at her belly. Neal smiled at her as his heart fill with love.

"I love you and I'll look after both of you, I promise." He whispered. He leaned forward and placed a soft tender kiss on Emma's lips.

Doctor Anders smiled at the couple, she decided to let them enjoy this moment a little longer.

"Right, well according to the scan I would say you are about 13 weeks along." She informed them.

Neal mischievous grin appeared on his face. It was clear he was remembering exactly where they were about 13 weeks ago. Unimpressed Emma raised her eyebrow at him but she couldn't stop a smile forming on her lips. _It had happened in the motel room _she thought to herself.

"The baby seems perfectly healthy, congratulations." Doctor Anders smiled at them.

"So doc what happens now?" Neal asked.

"Your next scan will be in 7 weeks. We should be able to see how far the baby has developed and hopefully find out the sex… Have you thought about wanting to know?" She asked.

"No!" "Yes!" Emma and Neal answered at the same time and then looked at each other.

"You don't want to know?" Neal asked.

"I want it to be a surprise." Emma replied.

Doctor Anders chuckled lightly. "Well you don't have to decide just yet… Would you like a picture?" She asked. The couple nodded.

Both Emma and Neal were still smiling when they climbed into the car. Emma gazed at the photo of the scan. It was strange how she could feel so much love of someone she hadn't even met yet. She put her hand to her stomach.

"I love you," she whispered to it.

Neal could not help but grin as he watched her. He made a silent promise to himself that he would do anything to protect his little family.

In the distance a hooded figure stood watching the yellow bug has it made its way out of the car park. They stood there until as the car made its way into the distance before disappearing from sight.


	7. Hiding the Truth

**Hey Everyone, thank you so much for your reviews and continued support of this story.**

**I wasn't sure about adding this into the story so soon. But I think its needed to move the plot along and to answer a few questions. **

**Hope you enjoy the next installment**

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**Hiding the truth.**

The sky began to cloud over once again and the rain threatened to fall. Neal was just finishing his shift. He had got a job as a handyman. The money was not great but it was steady work. Over the last few weeks he had worked long hours. He wanted to make some extra money before Emma had the baby. Neal felt exhausted, honest work was taking its toll on him.

He walked out of the building with his bag slung over his shoulder. He firmly shut the door behind him and began his journey home. He could not wait to get home to Emma.

He was only a few footsteps into his walk home when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hello Neal."

Neal's whole body froze. He hadn't seen him since they escaped to Tallahassee, since he had found out the truth about Emma's identity. Neal turned and came face to face with the hooded stranger.

The stranger lowered their hood to revel their face. August now stood with his hands in his pockets. There was something casual about his appearance.

"How did you find us?" Neal's voice was demanding but weak.

"You're not as good at covering your tracks as well as you thought." August replied with a smirk. He could sense the weakness in Neal's voice and decided to play on it.

Neal grunted slightly in response. He would not let his guard down. "What the hell do you want August?"

"An explanation! You were meant to tip of the cops off about Emma's involvement with the watches and her whereabouts. However you told them the wrong place didn't you?" August replied more like a statement than a question. His tone was condescending.

Neal could feel the anger beginning to grow at the arrogant man in front of him. "I couldn't do it… I couldn't leave her." His voice was no more than a whisper. Neal's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Even after what I showed you." August turned his head to the side trying to get Neal to look at him. Neal refused to make eye contact and continued to stare a floor.

August shook his head. "How could you be so selfish?"

"Selfish!" Neal snapped and flew his hands wildly up into the air. "This coming from the one who would have happily let Emma go to jail." His heart was now pounding in his chest.

"At least now you can just leave her and not have to worry about your conscience." August replied his voice was eerily calm.

Neal shook his head."I'm not leaving her. "

"What part of the plan didn't you understand? Emma needs to break the curse…"

"I can't leave her not now and not ever." Neal interrupted him. He did not want to hear what August was about to say. The truth was too painful.

"You'll both get over it time… " August continued raising his voice over Neal's.

"Emma's pregnant." Neal yelled.

August instantly stopped. He looked at Neal astonished. "What?" He breathed out. He had seen them going in and out of the hospital but had assumed they were doing a new scam._ A baby! Emma having a child was not part of the plan._

"We're going to be a family." Neal said proudly.

August ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Damn it Neal! You know that can't happen." He sighed. He was not a bad guy he did not want to break up a family but he had no choice.

"Why? Because you say so?" Neal angrily replied.

"How can she fulfil her destiny with a child in tow… You really are stupid."

"I don't care what you say, me and Emma stay together." Neal turned away from August. His fists clenched as he started to walk away. He was not going to stand here and be lectured.

"She's going to have to give the child up." August called after Neal's retreating back.

"No!" Neal span around. He hurled himself towards August and grabbed hold of his jacket collar. "You go anywhere near Emma or our baby I'll kill you… Do you understand?" Neal threatened. He could feel his body shaking with anger.

August pushed Neal away from. "So what is your plan… you're just going to keep the truth of who she really is from her?" He questioned. "I can't let you do that."

Realisation hit Neal "You left the book outside our apartment." He accused.

"Emma deserves to know the truth."

"NO! Not yet she doesn't." Neal snapped again.

"So you're going to keep lying to her?" August asked in disbelief.

Neal bit his lip. He knew August was right, Emma deserved to know who she was but that meant letting her go. That was something Neal knew he couldn't do, but he knew lying to her was just as bad.

"If you just leave us be... I promise when the time comes… I'll make sure she's ready to do her job." Neal was desperate. He could not lose Emma; he could not lose his family.

"I don't really have much of a choice do I?" August sighed. "But tell me one thing Neal when she finds out who you really are you think she'll stay with you?" He smirked. August knew he had hit a nerve. He could sense a small once of doubt and decided to play on it,

"Emma loves me." Neal replied. He knew exactly what August was trying to do and he refused to back down. He had Emma and their baby. Nothing else mattered now.

"Ok but I'm just trying to save you both from heart ache because we both know when the curse is broken you will have nowhere to hide."

Neal shut his eyes tightly to stop the tears from forming in his eyes. August's voice cut him deeply. He knew August was being honest but it was tearing him apart. Neal knew the time would come where he would have to make the choice between his family and his past.

"How will I know when it's time?" Neal asked.

August smirked again. "I'll send you a postcard."

It was late when Neal made it back to the apartment. He dumped his bag down and took his jacket. The apartment was silent. The only light on was the bedroom lamp.

Neal quietly made his way to the bedroom. He smiled softly when he saw Emma sleeping peacefully with her hand resting on her small bump. It had surprised Neal how maternal Emma had become over the last few weeks. Just seeing her pregnant and glowing made his heart swell with happiness.

He gently climbed into the bed next to her. He looked down at her swollen belly, swollen with his child.

He closed his eyes for a moment allowing himself to forget and enjoy being close to her. He sighed as the feeling of guilt overcame him. He hated himself for lying to her.

He was coward and Emma was far too good for him. He had always knew that, even before he found out who she really was. He was grateful Emma did not see his flaws. _Love is blind_. He thought to himself.

Neal was not one to believe in fate but a part of him wondered if their lives were always destined to be intertwined. Of all the cars Emma had chosen that day, she had picked the yellow bug. They were always meant to be together, the princess and the thief. They were meant to create this tiny life. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him.

_I'm not leaving her. I'm doing the right thing, this is what she wants_. Neal lied to himself. The lie was easier than the truth.

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**I have the next few chapters planned out so I thought I would give you some spoilers: Here are the next few chapter titles:**

**Chapter 8: Babies do not come with instruction manuals**

**Chapter 9: Quiet Moments**

**Chapter 10: Like old Times**

**Chapter 11: The Side of the Freeway.**


	8. Babies don't come with Instructions

**Thank you again for all your reviews :)** **I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this story so far. I've nearly finished the next few chapters so I hope to update regularly... hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

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**Babies don't come with instruction manuals**

Emma pulled her top down over her ever-growing swollen stomach. She could not believe how fast the last two months had gone. It only felt like yesterday when they went for their first scan. They were due to go for their 20 week scan in the next few days.

Since the first scan Emma had a strange uneasy feeling about something but could not work out why. She had decided it must have been her hormones; her emotions had been up and down. Emma smiled and placed her hand her stomach. She was nervously excited about seeing her baby again,

"Damn it!"

Emma instantly looked up to see Neal holding his finger in pain. For the past hour or so Neal had attempted to assemble the new crib they had brought for the baby.

Emma drove him crazy going round loads of different shops looking for the perfect one. In the end they had picked a silver and gold crib. The shapes of crowns and whirls had been carved into the wood. It reminded her of a castle which she thought would be perfect for their little prince or princess. She had also chosen a mobile with stars and unicorns which played a soft lullaby.

"Honey have tried I don't know using the instruction manual?" Emma laughed waving the booklet at him.

Neal snorted, "Babe it's just putting up a cot I think I can manage." He replied.

"Ok… But you do know you've got the bars upside down?" She giggled at him.

Neal looked at the partly assemble crib and then at the picture on the box than back again. "Yes… I was just testing to see if you've noticed."

"Of course you are." She replied playfully mocking him. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" She asked.

"Emma, seriously I think I can manage." Neal said he was starting to lose his patience with the whole thing.

"I'm just trying to…" She cut herself off almost immediately and looked down at her belly in surprise.

Neal followed her gaze and looked down at her stomach. "What's wrong?" He asked. Neal started to panic a little when she didn't answer him. "Babe?"

Emma slowly raised her eyes up to look at him. A huge warm smile appeared on her face. "He kicked me." She said in amazement. It was the first time she had felt their baby kick. Over the last few weeks she had felt tiny flutters like a butterfly but this was different. She had felt a strong thud against the palm of her hand.

"What?" Neal whispered as he looked down at her bump. He felt a mixture of happiness and fear. He sat down next to her on the bed. Emma reached her hand out to him which he instantly took. She could feel his hand trembling in hers. It was clear he was nervous about touching her belly.

"Right here." She smiled.

Emma moved his hand and pressed it against her swollen stomach. She placed her hand on top of his holding it there. Their baby moved again kicking harder this time. The young couple stared at the bump in wonderment. Emma felt a wave of happiness overcome her as she saw a big grin appear on Neal's face.

"He?" Neal suddenly asked breaking the little bubble they were in. Emma frowned in confusion.

"You said he, you think it's a boy?" He asked.

Emma laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I just have a feeling." She smiled. Emma really had no idea whether it was a boy or girl but she enjoyed teasing him.

"Oh really?" Neal questioned raising his eyebrow. "And what if it turns out to be a girl?"

Emma just smiled. "As long as the baby is healthy I don't mind either way." She replied before the baby kicked for a third time.

She felt Neal press his hand firmer against her belly, waiting more. She watched as his face turned more serious. "What is it?" She whispered.

"I can picture our little girl, with your long blonde hair and bright green eyes." He replied making her laugh a little.

Emma raised her eyebrow. "Really? Because I can picture a little boy with your messy hair and cheeky grin." She said smiling at him. Both of their eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect of what their child could be.

All of a sudden Neal reached out his over hand. Emma could not hold back her laughter when he pressed two hands across her stomach trying to feel their baby again.

"Try here." She said moving his hands under her top and over to the left side of her bump.

Neal's hands gently massaged her skin. His fingers tenderly rubbed over her swollen stomach. Emma closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his rough hands against her soft skin. She had never felt this happy in her entire life. She no longer cared that being pregnant had made her sick and changed her body. She loved her baby and its father more than anything. Their hands danced over her belly as they continued to enjoy the feeling of the little life their love had created.

By the time they had finished marvelling over the feeling of the baby moving, it had settled down a little. Neal raised his hand to Emma's face. He gently brushed his thumb over her cheek before placing a soft kiss on her lips. The kiss was soft and simple. There was no rush or desperation just a show of their love for each other. As the kiss slowly started to become more intense a loud bang filled the apartment.

Both Emma and Neal inverted their eyes over to the other side of the room. The crib had fallen apart and collapsed onto the floor. Neal groaned and buried his head into Emma's shoulder as she burst into laughter.

"Where's the instruction manual?" Neal asked with a sigh.

He took the manual in his hands and walked over to the dismantled crib. Emma could hear him angrily muttering away to himself.

"Hey honey, don't worry babies don't come with instruction manuals… You'll be fine." Emma joked.

Neal picked up the soft teddy bear and playfully threw it across the room at her before poking his tongue out. The room filled with their happy laughter as Neal began rebuilding their baby's crib.


	9. Quiet Moments

**Hey, thank you once again for all the lovely reviews and for the follows ... I'm really enjoying writing this story. I have a few big things planned for the next few chapters so I hope you continue reading :) **

**I hope you like the next chapter.**

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**Quiet Moments**

Emma had been tossing and turning in bed for the last hour. It seemed whatever position she tried she could not get comfortable. The irritating sound of Neal snoring loudly next to her was only adding to her annoyance.

She looked over at the clock it was 3:15 in the morning. Emma groaned in frustration there was no way she would get back to sleep now. So not to disturb Neal any further she climbed out of bed and made her way to the living room.

Emma tiptoed her way across the room to the sofa. She gently lowered herself down onto the seat leaning her back against the sofa for support. She let out a loud sigh of relief that she was now finally comfortable.

Her vest top stretched across her round bump. She softly rubbed her hand over her swollen belly. Emma smiled when she felt the baby stir inside. She always enjoyed these quiet moments when it was just the two of them.

"Hey Kid," She whispered as she felt a tiny thump against the palm of her hand. Emma found that every time she spoke to her bump the baby would kick harder as if it was answering her back.

She sighed happily when she thought back to the previous day. They had gone for their second scan. Emma could hardly believe how much the baby had grown over the last few months. It was no longer a blob on the screen it now resembled a little person. It had overwhelmed both Neal and her seeing their baby again.

The doctor had confirmed the baby was healthy and doing well. They were asked again if they wanted to know the sex. After much disagreement they decided against it. Emma did not want to know, not until the birth. She wanted it to be a surprise.

Neal leaned up against the door frame. His hair was messy and sticking out in different directions. He had a sleepy smile on his face as he watched Emma talking and rubbing her hand over her bump. He always loved it when he caught her doing it. For some reason he loved seeing her hand on the swell of her stomach. He had panicked a little when he woke to find Emma's side of the bed empty.

However he was relieved when he heard the sound of her soothing voice coming from the other room. Over the last few months Neal was continually having feelings of guilt, no matter how hard he had tried to bury them. He hated lying to Emma, but he felt he was doing the best thing for them and their little family.

He sighed lightly and continued to watch Emma laughing away to herself. The grin on his face grew larger. He loved her and their baby so much he just wished he could shut August's words out.

Sensing someone else was now in the room Emma turned her head round. She smiled shyly when she saw Neal watching her. She always felt a tiny bit embarrassed when he caught her talking to her bump.

"Hey," She whispered softly.

"Having fun?" He asked playfully raising his eyebrows causing Emma to roll her eyes.

Neal walked over to sofa and sat beside her. Emma reached out and took his hand. She softly placed it the swell of her stomach. Her heart raced when she saw his eyes light up when he touched her belly.

"Wow. I still can't get over how amazing this is." He chuckled lightly as he felt their baby kicking away beneath their hands. He wrapped his arm around Emma's shoulder pulling her closer to him.

"Our baby is a little fighter." He laughed again when he felt another hard thumb against his hand.

"Hell yeah." Emma laughed.

"Our baby," He whispered softly as he gazed into her eyes.

They stared into each other's eyes for a second, nothing else existing outside the little bubble they had created. Nothing but them and their baby, who was still happily kicking away.

Emma sighed as she gently pulled away from Neal hold. She instantly noticed the disappointed in his face when she moved away from him. Emma hated not being close to him but she was starting to feel uncomfortable again.

Neal quietly sighed to himself. "Come on; let's get you back to bed." He said standing up from the sofa. He held his hand out towards her.

"You need to get some rest. Staying up all night isn't good for you and then there is baby Cassidy to think of." Neal hoped he did not sound patronising but he was worried about her not sleeping.

"Baby Cassidy?" Emma asked raising her eyebrow at him. Neal could not hold back his grin.

"Can I remind you we are not married so until then it's Baby Swan." She playfully replied. She couldn't help but tease him, she knew how important names where to him.

Neal was hesitated for a moment. "I thought you didn't want to do the whole marriage thing."

"I said I didn't want to do it just because of the baby… but maybe one day." Emma smiled at Neal and took his hand.

They had only ever briefly mentioned the idea of marriage. However they had agreed not to rush into anything which was quite ironic due the fact they were about to become parents.

They made their way back to the bedroom. Emma slowly sat down on the bed. Neal sat beside her and took her hand in his**. **

"I love you so much." He whispered as he placed tiny soft kisses on Emma's fingertips.

Emma reached up and cupped Neal's face and lowered his lips to hers. Neal sighed happily when he felt her fingers brush across his chest.

They moved closer to each other as their hands starting exploring each other's bodies. They both murmured declaration of love between kisses. Emma wrapped her arms around him so she could kiss him more deeply. Neal ran his hands up and down her back before pulling her closer to him as the kiss became more heated.

All of sudden Emma groaned and pulled away from his lips. She turn away from him and rolled onto her side. Neal looked at her with confusion. She had never pulled away from him before.

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned he had done something to upset her.

"My back was hurting sorry." She replied. The extra weight of the baby would cause her to get sharp pains down her spin, making it uncomfortable for her to stay in one place for too long.

Emma was starting to get used to the aches and pains caused by her pregnancy. But she knew none of them would compare to the pain she would feel when their baby decided to make its entrance into the world. The thought of it terrified her She turned her head slightly to see Neal. He sat that clearly puzzled by the whole thing. His forehead was creased, it was obvious he was thinking about something**. **Their passion had never been interrupted by practicality before.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Can I still kiss you?" He asked causing Emma to laugh lightly.

"Yes you can still kiss me." She smiled.

Neal led down beside her. Emma brushed her hand through his hair and pulled him closer. Their lips touched softly.

Noticing the discomfort in Emma's face Neal pulled away slightly. "Is your back still hurting?" He asked.

"Yes," Emma sighed.

Neal quickly made his way behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gently began massaging her back.

"A bit lower." Emma whispered. She was enjoying the feeling of her muscles relaxing beneath his warm touch.

He softly moved his hands down to her lower back. He couldn't help but smirk to himself when Emma let out a quiet moan. "Any better?" He asked whispering into her ear.

"Yes, thank you." She smiled. Neal wrapped his arms around her waist and placed gentle kisses on her neck and shoulders.

They stayed that way for hour's kissing and holding each other. They knew they should enjoy these last few quiet moments before their child was born.


	10. Like Old Times

**Hey, Thank you all again for all the reviews and followers I really appreciate it... Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

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**Like Old Times.**

Emma was hot and uncomfortable as she wriggled around in the bed. Her bump had now made it almost impossible to sleep in any other position than her side and she hated sleeping on her side. Every couple of minutes she would find herself having to changing which side she slept on as it became painful to stay still for long. To top it off her legs now started to cramp. Her whole body was crying out in agony.

Emma felt physically and emotionally exhausted, to the point that tired tears began to form in her eyes. She desperately tried to blink the tears away but she could not stop them from rolling down her cheeks. The baby must have sensed her discomfort and was kicking her fiercely. Emma let out a frustrated sigh and rolled back onto her side. She was now officially fed up of being pregnant.

"Sshh… its ok babe," Neal sleepily whispered into her ear.

Her continuous fidgeting had obviously disturbed him. Neal shuffled his body up close behind Emma's back. She shivered a little when his warm breath tickled the skin on the back of her neck. He moved one of his arms under her pillow to give her head extra support. His other hand tenderly made its way up her leg before slipping around her waist.

Emma leant back against his firm bare chest. The extra support of his strong body helped to ease her aching body. She had no idea how Neal knew what position she needed to help her sleep. It must have been luck or just instinct, but whatever it was she was thankful.

Emma was just about to thank him when she heard the muffled sound of him snoring behind her. Neal had instantly fallen back into a deep sleep. So instead she moved her hand over his and laced their fingers together. Gently she lifted his hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss against his fingers before placing his hand on top of her swollen stomach.

Emma smiled to herself it seemed their baby had also settled down. _The kid must know their father is around._ She thought to herself. Neal had an effortless way of calming them both. Emma's eyes finally began to close.

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Emma knew it was early when she woke. She didn't even have to open her eyes to look at the clock; she could feel the sunlight from behind her eyelids. Her body flinch a little when she felt a sharp small pain in her side. Emma groaned she had these small pains on and off for the last few hours but after a long night of tossing and turning she refused get out of bed.

She stretched her arms out expecting to feel Neal's warm body beside instead they were greeted by emptiness. Emma's eyes jolted open. "What the…" Neal was gone.

Suddenly the sound of the radio crept in under the bedroom door. It was followed by the sound of Neal's voice singing along. Emma could not help but giggle to herself, he sounded terrible.

She threw back the bed covers and sat up. She rubbed her stomach and sighed as she felt another pain across her bump.

Quietly she tiptoed her way to the kitchen. She stood in the doorway for a moment watching Neal singing away to himself while preparing some food.

"What are you doing?" She asked trying to hold back her laughter.

Neal jumped before turning round to face her. "Sorry… did I wake you?" He asked. He knew Emma had a rough night so decided to leave her to get some rest.

Emma smiled and shook her head. Her eyes glanced over the kitchen counter which was overloaded with all kinds of food. She felt her stomach rumble a little.

"You made all of this?" She asked. Neal nodded with a shy smile**. **

"You didn't have too." Emma replied. Her eyebrow rose with confusion when he started packing it all up into a bag. She looked at him.

"I thought we could go on a road trip… like old times." Neal suggested grinning at her.

Emma snorted, being stuck in their yellow bug all day was the last thing she wanted to do. "Why don't we rob a convenience store while we're at it?" She sarcastically replied pinching a grape of the counter.

Neal chuckled to himself. **"**I thought about it but it won't work now you'll actually pregnant." He grinned causing Emma to roll her eyes at him. "Come on it will be fun… maybe even go to the beach?"

Emma raised both her eyebrows "The beach! Looking like this?" She replied indicating to her very large bump.

"What?" Neal asked as his eyes moved over body. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his lips close to hers. "You look beautiful." His voice was low and sincere.

Emma could feel her cheeks turning a shade of rosy pink. "Ok then," She replied trying to hide her smile. Her lips were just about to brush over his when a sharp sudden pain from her stomach caused her to wince. _What is it with you today kid?_ Emma thought to herself has the pain slowly passed.

"What is it?" Neal asked with a ridiculous half grin on his face. "Did SHE kick again?"

"Yes HE did and it really hurt." Emma quickly replied. "I better get ready for our road trip." She sighed breaking their embrace.

Picking up her shoes she made her way over to the sofa and sat down on the edge. Emma huffed as she awkwardly reached down to put on her shoes. It was now an effort to put them on due to the size of her stomach. Suddenly the room filled with the sound of Neal's laughter. She looked up to find him watching her from the kitchen.

"What?" She asked causing him to laugh even more. "It's not that easy with a big bump in the way." She complained.

"Sorry babe but you look so funny!" He chuckled. She looked hilarious and cute as she tried reaching her feet over her bump.

"You could always help you know." She grumbled at him.

Neal walked over and knelt in front her. He picked up one of her shoes and slipped it onto her foot.

Emma smiled. "I'm just like Cinderella." She laughed. "And you're just like… I can never remember the prince's name... I want to say Charming but that Snow White right?"

Neal instantly flinched. "You've read too many fairy-tales." He replied refusing to make eye contact with her. "Come on let's get going." He said holding his hand out which she instantly took.

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"Oh come on!" Neal yelled as he sounded the yellow bug's horn in had been stuck in traffic for over an hour and the nearest exit was about half a mile back.

Emma fidgeted in her seat; she was hot, tired and hungry. "Whose idea was it to go to the beach?" She asked.

**"**Well we were had been there hours ago if someone didn't have to go to the restroom every five minutes." Neal grumbled to himself.

Emma shot him a dirty look. "I heard that! It's my fault YOUR child likes kicking my bladder."

"Oh so it's MY child now!" Neal snapped. "Sorry babe it's just we haven't moved anywhere in the last half hour."

"At least we have food," Emma said as she tried reaching for the bag on the back seat. She suddenly felt another hard painful kick from the baby. She lowered her hands to her bump and gently rubbed it.

"Hey Kid." She whispered. The baby kicked again but this time it was like nothing Emma had felt before.

"What's the matter?" She asked her bump. Her smile started to fade when she felt her stomach muscles painfully cramp.

"What the hell!" She cried out as she clutched her bump. The pain quickly began to spread out across her back and stomach.

"Emma what is it?" Neal asked moving his hand off the wheel to gently rub her shoulder.

"Nothing," Emma breathed out. She hoped that if she ignored the pain it would disappear. However she could not hide it from Neal.

"Is it the baby? Is it ready?" He asked, the panic in his voice was clear.

Another shot of pain ripped through Emma's body. "Ow!" she cried as the tears begin to fall down her cheeks. She desperately clutched her stomach. _This could not be happening... Not here._

"Emma..Babe…The baby? Is it coming now?" He asked even though he knew the answer. His voice was alive with bewilderment and fear as he took his eyes off the road to look over at her.

"It's too early… Maybe they're false contra..." She cut herself off and gasped for air as another pain went through her.

"Right, I'm pulling over." Neal said looking for a gap on the side of the road to stop the car.

Emma grabbed hold of Neal's shirt. "Don't you dare stop this car…. do you un…"Her face scrunching up with agony as another wave of pain hit her.

"Emma, you're in pain… we have to stop."

She clutched at her stomach with her other hand, "it's nothing, the baby isn't due for another few weeks it will past." She lied

All of a sudden Emma's eyes went wide with fear. Neal followed her eyes down to the floor of the car. He stared dumb-founded at the wet puddle beneath Emma's feet. Her waters had broken. They stared at each other as realisation hit them. The baby was coming...

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**I've nearly finished the next chapter so I hope to update again this week :)**


	11. The Side of the Freeway

**Hey thank you once again for your reviews… I do enjoy reading them and hearing your opinions…. I wrote about three different versions of this chapter and I'm still not sure if I got it quite right lol Anyway here comes baby Henry... hope you enjoy it.**

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**_The Side of the Freeway_**

It was not supposed to happen here, not on the side of the freeway but Neal had no other option. There was no way through the traffic ahead so soon as a gap appeared he pulled the yellow bug up onto the side of the road.

Neal turned off the engine and turned in his seat to face Emma who was clearly in a lot of pain. He felt like his head was spinning. He had no idea what to say, he felt completely helpless. Their baby was about to be born and he had no idea what to do. He was petrified. Emma was meant to give birth in a hospital not in the back of their yellow bug.

The sound of Emma's cries snapped him back into reality. He took a deep breath. He knew he would be no good to her if he was panicking. Now was his chance to step up and prove he could take care of his family.

Emma cried out in pain and clutched her stomach. The tears began to fall down her flushed cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly trying to block out the pain. _This cannot be happening, _her mind kept repeating over and over.

Neal raised his hand to her face, placing his palm on her tear-stained cheek. He softly brushed her tears away. "Emma, look at me." He said tilting her face to look at him. Emma refused to open her eyes. She bit down hard on her lip and grabbed his shirt as she felt another sharp pain in stomach.

"Babe... Please." Neal pleaded.

Emma eyelids slowly began to open. Her green eyes met his brown ones. His eyes were full of worry and concern for her. Emma whimpered in pain again. She tightened her grip on his shirt twisting it slightly as another contraction soared through her body.

"Deep breaths… come on babe, breathe." Neal said still holding her face in his hands.

A small part of him wanted to smile when the memory of her fake labour in store flashed into his head. However he thought better than to mention it as he doubted she would see the funny side. Instead he gently rubbed her shoulder and back.

Emma clutched her stomach again. "The baby…" She gasped in pain. "It's coming." She sobbed. It was too soon, she had at least another few weeks left.

"I know sweetheart I know." He answered as he undid both their seatbelts. His brain was now kicking into gear. They could not stay like this. Neal opened the door and jumped out of his side of the car.

Emma shook her head, she could hardly move and there was Neal jumping about. Her eyes followed him as he rushed over to the passenger side. He opened the passenger door and reached into the car. Neal wrapped his arms around Emma's shoulders as he gently hoisted her up out of the seat. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he held her close to him.

He slung her arm over his shoulders for extra support as he carefully lifted her into a standing position. Emma's eyes widen with fear. The reality of the situation had finally caught up with her.

"Neal," She choked out. "I can't do this … not here… not on the side of the freeway." Emma shook her head as the tears ran down her cheeks. She leaned forward resting her hands on the side of the car.

She couldn't have her baby on the side of the freeway. It brought back to many bad memories of her parents. _Had her mother been in the same situation? Had she given birth to her in the back seat of a car_? _Then dumped her like a piece of trash?_ Whatever the circumstances Emma did not want her child to have the same start in life she had. But it seemed their baby had other ideas.

"I know Babe…" He whispered as he anxiously rubbed her back. "I'm going to call an ambulance, maybe they can make it through the traffic." He looked over his shoulder at the rows of cars on the road.

Neal began fumbling with one hand to remove his phone from his pocket while the other supported Emma. Realising quickly this wasn't going to work, he gently lowered her down onto the floor. He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm just goimg to ring for an ambulance to take us to the hospital ok?"

Emma didn't answer, her face scrunched up again in pain. "Everything is going to be ok... I promise you." He reassured her even though he had no idea what to do if he could not get them help. Neal kissed the top of her head before turning away to call for help.

Emma was still holding her stomach when another wave of pain ripped through her body._ Come kid don't do this to me now. _She pleaded to her bump. She was terrified.

"The ambulance is on the way." Neal called out as he rushed back over.

"How long… well they be? I can't hold on…much longer." Emma breathed out. Neal just looked at her blankly.

"Right… I'm just going to get a blanket or something from the car... Just in case." He replied. He hoped Emma hadn't heard the fear in his voice.

He quickly searched through the bags in the backseat of the car, looking for anything they could use. The only thing he could find was Emma's baby blanket. He pulled it out of the bag.

"Sorry babe this is all we have." He said holding her blanket up.

Emma nodded to say it was ok; she didn't really have any other choice. He placed the blanket down on the ground beneath Emma.

Neal sat down beside her. "Just hang on ok Babe."

"It really hurts" Emma gasped taking hold of his hand.

"I know … I Know just keep breathing ok." All they could do now was wait to see if their baby would hold on until help arrived.

Neal gently rubbed her shoulder as he watched with a worried look on his face. Emma desperately clutched at her stomach as another pain ripped across her abdomen.

"Where's the hell is the ambulance?" She breathed out. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

"It's on it way," Neal answered as he looked over his shoulder. The road was still blocked with cars, there was no way through. The feeling of panic and fear began to rise again in the pit of his stomach when he realised it was unlikely the ambulance would reach them in time.

"I can't believe how quick this is happening." Neal said shaking his head in disbelief. "Surely you get some kind of sign first right?"

"I've been… having pains… on and off all morning." Emma admitted between gasps.

Neal eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why didn't you say anything?" He would never have suggested this stupid road trip if he had known.

"I thought it was nothing."

"Nothing?" Neal raised his voice and threw his hands up into the air.

"Seriously? You're arguing with me now?" Emma snapped back.

Neal brushed his hand through his hair. "Sorry…" He whispered.

Emma cradled her stomach as the tears continued to run down her cheeks. Her face scrunched up in agony. She felt an incredible urge to start pushing.

"Oh no you don't'… Don't you dare start pushing…"

Emma was in far too much pain to roll her eyes at him. She was desperately fighting against her body. "I'm trying not too but… It's coming…" Emma's voice started growing into a high-pitch.

"Right Ok.. What do we do?" Neal nervously asked.

"I thought you said you read up about it? She asked quietly,

Neal could see she was just as clueless as him.

"So you lied? Emma raised her eyebrow in disbelief. Her pregnancy must have made her less perspective to lies.

"Well I thought we would be in a hospital…" Neal had just assumed that when the time came they would be surrounded by doctors and he would follow their lead.

Emma shook her head weakly. "This cannot be happening!"

"I'm going to have a look ok?" He could feel his heart beating so fast he literally felt it was about to burst.

"No." Emma cried out. There was no way he was going to let him deliver their baby.

"Emma Babe … we don't have a choice."

Neal knelt on the floor in front of Emma. He did not want to cause her anymore discomfort but with no sign of the ambulance he had to do something.

Emma felt completely mortified. Here she was barely 18 sat on the side of road about to give birth to a baby. She was just thankful she had decided to wear a dress today. She could feel Neal slowly lifting her dress up to her knees. _Please be ok kid. _Her hand gripped tightly onto the end to her jacket. Another strong contraction hit her body making her cry out in pain.

Neal froze, his face turned pale and his eyes widen. He stared completely dumb-founded. Panic raced through his body making it impossible for him to think straight. He looked up at Emma; she was clutching her stomach again.

"Sorry hun." He choked out. There was a long pause before he finished his sentence. "But it doesn't look like the baby wants to wait"

Neal felt completely unprepared as the understanding dawned in her eyes. He was going to have to deliver the baby

Emma's eyes were full of fear and glistened with fresh tears when she felt Neal removing her underwear. She now realised she was going nowhere. _There goes the last of my dignity_.

He leant forward and placed his hand on the back of Emma's head, brushing his fingers through her hair. He placed a reassuring kiss on her forehead.

"I can't… I can't have the baby now… I can't…" Emma choked out in-between breathes.

"Babe." He paused for a moment as he touched her cheek again. "Everything will be ok… I love you." In the middle of all the distress he could see a tiny smile grace Emma's lips.

"I'm just going to move you up against the car to give your back more support ok?" Neal said. He was now starting to take control of the situation.

He gently shuffled Emma so her back rested against the side of car. He could feel her body shaking in his arms. "Babe listen to me you can do this." Neal whispered into ear. He softly ran his hand through her damp hair, brushing it away from her face.

"Come on I need you to push for me."

Emma screamed loudly as her body bent forward as another contraction hit her.

"That's it babe," Neal called out.

Emma collapsed back against the car panting heavily. Her face was red and covered in sweat. More tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"You're doing good babe." He whispered. His eyes also glistened with tears. He hated seeing Emma in so much pain and there was nothing he could do to take it away.

Emma shook her head. She was so exhausted. "No I can't… it hurts too much…" She cried. She couldn't take it anymore it was all happening to fast.

Neal looked up at her. "Yes you can… You can do this Emma… I know you can… just one more push… come on Babe."He urged.

Emma shook her head again. "No I can't… I've change my mind… I'm not ready." She sobbed. Neal let out a small nervous laugh. There was no going back now.

"Make it stop please…." Emma begged. Her whole body felt like it was being ripped to pieces.

Neal looked into her eyes. "Look at me… I love you and I know you can do this… you need to push Babe… push."

Emma let out an ear-splitting scream as her entire upper-body bent forward in agony,

"Oh my God… I can see the head" Neal beamed "Our baby has dark hair," He smiled as he cradle the baby's head in his hands. He carefully checked to make sure the umbilical cord was not round the baby's neck.

"Ok Babe I need you to push as hard as you can ok?"

Emma cried again, shaking her head. "I can't Neal… I'm sorry I can't."

Neal looked deep into her green tear filled eyes. "Yes you can... You can do anything do you hear me… You do this. Do it for the baby, Our baby." Neal said encouraging her to do one more final push.

Emma screamed again as another contraction hit her. But now she gave in and stopped fighting her body's need to push. Her body lifted off the side of the car as she pushed down hard.

"That's it Babe." Neal whispered. He watched her amazed as she fought through the pain to bring their baby into the world.

She let out one final scream; it felt like her whole body was being torn in two. With one final push she collapsed back down again.

A loud piecing cry of a newborn filled the air. Their baby had made its entrance into the world.

Neal let out a cry of relief and joy. "It's a boy!" He squealed "You did it…We have a son," his eyes glistened with tears as he choked out the words.

He looked down to Emma's exhausted face "A boy!.. You were right…" His eyes were full of happy tears. She had done it, she had brought their son into the world. He gently wrapped the tiny baby up in Emma's blanket.

Emma struggled to lift herself back up off the car. She was desperately wanted to see her son. "Is he ok?" She whispered.

Neal chuckled with the crying baby in his arms. "He's perfect and I think he just wants his mommy." He smiled as he reached the tiny bundle over to her.

Emma held out her arms awkwardly. She could feel them shaking as he passed her little boy into arms. She could have sworn her heart stopped a little as she felt the weight of her newborn son in her arms for the first time. Happy tears now began to fall from her eyes.

Emma looked down the tiny bundle in her arms. Her eyes traced every feature of her baby, memorizing his little face.

"Hi kid." She smiled. "I'm your Mom." Her son's cries quieted down and she held him close to her.

Neal moved over to Emma and wrapped his arm over her shoulder. There were no words that he could think of that would explain how he felt in this moment. Seeing Emma give life to their child had made him fall even more in love with her.

Emma looked up at Neal, her eyes glisten with tears. "Thank you." She whispered.

Neal raised his eyebrow. "What for? You did it…"

"No" Emma interrupted "We did it."

Neal leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He hoped the kiss could explain what words couldn't. His lips pulled away slowly and he looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you," He whispered.

"I love you too." She smiled before they both looked down in awe at their new-born son as he snuggled in her chest. The world around them fell silent. The only sound that could be heard was a siren in the distance.


	12. Hey baby What's your name?

**Hey, Sorry for the delay in updating... I plan to be updating more regularly now. **

**Thank you again for the lovely reviews for my last chapter :) I always appreciate hearing your feedback. I would like to take this story up to until Emma breaks the curse so I hope you continue reading :) **

**Enjoy the new chapter...**

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**Hey baby... What's your name?**

Neal kept his attention on the baby boy in his arms. He watched as the baby stirred gently towards him, cuddling further into his chest. _My Son,_ he smiled to himself. He could not believe it he was dad. He had no idea what kind of father he would be, but he knew he couldn't be any worse than his own father. Neal already loved his son too much to let that happen.

His heart swelled with love and pride at the tiny bundle in his arms. Even though his son was only a few hours old he could already see parts of himself in the little boy's features. His son had his eyes and fuzzy dark hair. The rest however was all Emma. He was perfect. This little boy was all theirs and nothing or no one would take him away from them.

Neal could feel happy tears begin to form in his eyes again. He had never cried this much in his life before. But they were not tears of sadness but of joy. Emma had given him the precious gift in the world and he just hoped one day he would be worthy of it.

He looked over to Emma who was sleeping peaceful in the hospital bed. Neal smiled; she looked so beautiful and angelic when she slept. She tried so desperately to stay to awake when they got to the hospital but her body was so exhausted and sore that it gave into sleep about an hour ago.

Hearing a tiny whimper he turned his attention back to his son. "Hey, little man," Neal whispered. He brushed his thumb against his baby's soft rosy cheek. His son's eyelids fluttered open for a moment before closing again.

"We're going to have so much fun, you and me. I've got so much planned for us to do." He smiled down at the tiny boy in his arms. "I'm going to teach you all kinds of things, like how to ride a bike, I'm going to take you to the park and if you really good I'll even buy you an ice-cream. Just don't tell you mom ok?" Neal chuckled to himself.

"I'll tell you a secret, your mother… she doesn't know how special she is… she loves you so much, you're everything to her. So you best not give her any trouble." Neal laughed. "And as for me… well I'll always be there for you no matter what… I love you son." He leant down and placed a gentle kiss on top of his baby's head.

The tiny bubble father and son had created was soon interrupted when Neal felt someone's eyes watching him. His eyes glanced over to the hospital bed. His heart began to race when he saw Emma gazing back at him. He could see her green eyes glistened with happy tears. All of a sudden he felt shy and kind of embarrassed. Emma had obviously overheard his little speech. A bashful smile began to form on his face.

"Do you really mean that?" Emma asked, trying her best to hold back her tears, her emotions where still all over the place.

Neal nodded. "Yes, every word of it." He whispered still smiling at her. He carefully carried their son over to the bed and sat down beside her. He gently moved the baby into one arm so he could reach up with the other to brush away her tears.

"You and this little guy here….You're all I want." He whispered as his palm cupped her cheek.

Smiling Emma closed her eyes and turned slightly so she could lean back against Neal's chest. Neal moved his arm so he could wrap it around her while he cradled their son in his other arm.

Emma sighed and placed her head against his firm chest. Neal gently rested his chin on top of her head. For the first time today he felt Emma's body relax against his.

"The three of us is all I need." He whispered before placing a kiss onto of her head.

Emma nodded gently. "The three of us." She sighed happily. Right now everything was perfect. They both looked down at the little life they had created, just as their son let out a tiny yawn.

Neal chuckled "However we do need something to call him?" They had been so caught up in birth and the aftermath that they hadn't named their son yet. Emma was so exhausted by the time they made it to the hospital and Neal did not want to name their son without discussing it with her first.

Emma laughed softly. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Ok… Hey baby what's your name?" Neal asked making her to laugh out loud. "I don't think he's going to tell us." He couldn't see Emma's face but he knew she was rolling her eyes at him.

"Do you have any names you like?" She asked with a contented sigh.

Neal took at moment to think, he never imagined he would be father. Even when Emma was pregnant it did not feel real to him. He reached across and brushed the loose curl of hair away from her face. "Why don't you tell me the names you like?" He asked.

Emma raised her eyebrow "Don't you want to have any input?" She asked gently biting her lower lip. She already had a name in mind but was frightened Neal would hate it.

Neal smirked. "I'm sure you have some good names. I trust you." He replied trying to encourage her to tell him the names she had picked. He could not help but wonder why she was suddenly so nervous. He had no doubt the name she had in mind for their baby would be perfect.

"I like Henry." Emma softly whispered.

"Henry? …Good name." _Henry_… He liked it and now hearing Emma say it, he could not imagine any other name for their son.

"It means a power ruler, like a King or a Prince." She smiled. She raised her eyebrow when she saw the look of surprise on Neal's face. "What you said names are important." She laughed.

Neal smiled, "Henry the little prince... I like it." He grinned.

"I was also thinking James for a middle name." She said biting her lip nervously again.

Neal nodded. "Henry James Swan…"

"No!" Emma interrupted him. "Cassidy."

Neal looked at her in surprised. He thought she wanted their child to have her surname until they were married. He could feel fresh tears forming in his eyes. "You sure?" He asked as he managed to choke out the words.

Emma smiled and nodded. She could not have done any of it without Neal and she wanted her son to have his father's name. She knew how much it meant to him.

"Welcome to the world Henry James Cassidy." He beamed at his little boy.

"I love you Emma Swan." Neal drew Emma close to him. His lips touched hers. She was his everything.

They quickly pulled apart when they heard a knock on the door. One of the nurses poked her head around the door. "Sorry to disturb you but visiting times are over… Mother and baby need their rest." She informed the couple with a smile.

Neal groaned he did not want to leave his family but he did not have a choice. He placed their son gently back in his crib.

"Do you have to go?" Emma asked. She did not want Neal to leave her. The thought of being left alone with their baby terrified her.

Neal smiled sadly he felt reluctant to leave them, "I'll be back first thing tomorrow… Do want me to bring anything other than your bag?" Emma shook her head.

Neal turned back towards their baby and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Be good for you mom kiddo... I'll see you tomorrow."

Emma was now alone with her baby. She stared intently at the little baby in front of her. _Her __son. _She could scarcely believe it. She had a baby. She was a mom. Her little boy was amazing, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

A small cry filled the room. Her baby was awake. Emma could feel her legs shaking as she climbed out of the hospital bed and made her way over to him. She was unsure what to do to stop him crying. Was he hungry? Cold? She had no idea.

Emma could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest as she nervously reached down and gently picked him up. She watched has her son turned his head towards her chest seeking comfort from his mother. His cries instantly stopped. The baby cooed as he slowly drifted back to sleep again, his ear pressed against Emma's heartbeat.

"That's better, hey Kid?" She whispered softly as she kissed her baby's head. All of her fears seemed too disappeared.

The tears began to form again in her eyes. . She looked at his little face, he was amazing. She watched his tiny eyelids flutter as he slept in her arms

She was overcome emotion. Her tears trickled down her cheeks. Emma had never seen anything so perfect in her entire life.

As Emma watched her son sleeping peacefully in arm she had an overpowering feeling of love and fierce protectiveness for him. He was so small and completely dependent on her. It was now her job to protect this little boy and give him the best possible chance.

She gently brushed her fingers over his warm rosy cheek. The sensation of his soft smooth skin beneath her fingers was like nothing she had ever experienced. Her fingers made their way down to his little hand. She began to stroke his little palm softly, still amazed by how soft her baby skin felt. Suddenly her son clutched his tiny hand around her finger.

Emma let out a tiny laugh as she became overwhelmed with emotion. "I love you Henry" she whispered.


	13. Hey Buddy Go back to sleep!

**Hey Everyone. Thank for the reviews for my last chapter, I enjoying reading your feedback. I really can't wait for Sunday episode :) **

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter :) **

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**Hey Buddy... Go back to sleep**

A loud cry filled the bedroom. Neal's eyes shot open and he instantly sat up from the bed. He groaned quietly to himself when his mind caught up with his body. The cry belonged to his son. This was the fourth time he had woken up tonight.

He looked over to Emma who was beginning to stir slowly in her sleep. He knew how exhausted and sore she still was, they had only left the hospital three days ago. She needed more sleep.

Carefully Neal leaned over the bed. He gently brushed the curls of hair away from her face with his fingers. "I'll go, go back to sleep." He whispered in her ear. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. When he got no reply from her, he assumed she had gone back to sleep.

Grumbling to himself Neal threw back the blankets and climbed out of the warm bed. He quietly made his way over to the crib, his son's upset cries continued to echo around the room.

"Hey Buddy… it's ok I'm here…" Henry's cries got louder. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound as soft and soothing like Emma's.

It had surprised him how she managed to get her voice to sound so gentle and reassuring. It even made him want to fall asleep when he heard her speak to their baby.

However his voice still sounded rough and sketchy. This did not go unnoticed by Henry who continued to cry. But in Neal's defense it was the middle of the night and he was tired. Sighing to himself he carried on and picked up his distress son.

Soon as Henry was in his arms he stopped crying and instantly settled down, Neal could not stop the smirk appearing on his face. _That was easy._He thought smugly to himself. _Who said parenting is hard?_

However he did feel annoyed for being dragged out of the comfort of his warm bed. The feeling soon disappeared when he looked down at the baby in his arms. Neal smiled again when he heard tiny hiccups.

"Now little dude, why are you awake?" he asked Henry as he rocked him in his arms.

Nothing, no cry, Henry just looked up at his father. "It's time to sleep." He whispered. He gently brushed his hand over his son's forehead. Neal grinned proudly as his son's eyes slowly began to close. He kissed the top of Henry's head and gently placed him back down into his crib.

He had nearly made it back into bed when another loud cry came from the crib. "Really?" Neal groaned, his son was definitely messing with him. He turned on his heels and made his way back to the crib.

This time Henry cries did not stop when his father picked him up. "Shhhh what is it?" He asked rocking his son gently. "Are you cold? Need changing?" The cries got louder.

"Come on Henry, give me a break I'm new to this…." Neal whined, he sounded just like the baby in his arms.

Then it hit him, Henry was hungry. "Seriously you can't be hungry?" Emma had fed him only a few hours ago._ How could he be hungry?_

"Come on buddy… just go back to sleep." He pleaded. After all the trouble he had gone through he did not want to wake Emma up now, she needed her rest.

"Pretty please..." He asked trying one last attempt to convince his son to go back to sleep. However Henry stomach did not want to give up and his cries grew louder.

"Ok… ok you win…Neal sighed in defeat. Carefully he grabbed another blanket and wrapped Henry up just like Emma had showed him. He made his way back over to their bed. "Emma… Emma wake up…" He gently called out.

Emma stirred again and rolled onto her side facing him. "Neal…" She mumbled. She was still half asleep. Her eyes opened when she heard her baby's cries. She looked over to see Neal standing by the bed holding Henry in his arms.

"I'm sorry babe…. I tried but he's hungry….." He said sheepishly. He felt so guilty that he had to wake her.

Emma was too exhausted to roll her eyes at him. "Ok… come here…" She whispered sleepily.

Neal carefully climbed back onto the bed. He moved Henry into one arm so his other was free to place a pillow behind Emma's back. He could see she was struggling to sit up.

Henry's cries got louder as he started to grow impatient. Gently Neal placed him into Emma's open arms before he settled down behind her. Henry cried again when he tried to latch onto his mother but only found fabric in his way.

_Damn it! _Emma thought to herself, she had forgotten she had worn Neal's t-shirt to bed. All her pyjamas where covered in baby sick and she hadn't had time to clean them. Emma could feel herself wanting to cry when she heard Henry in so much distress. She quickly passed him back to his father so she could take off the shirt.

"Hey buddy, its OK. Mommy is coming…" Neal whispered to Henry.

Emma could feel her heart flutter at the sound of Neal's voice as he tried to calm their son down. Her body screamed in pain as she pulled the shirt up over her head throwing it down onto the floor. She was too exhausted to worry about covering herself back up. Instead she leaned into Neal's arms as she took back Henry. Her body rested back against Neal's firm chest.

Henry instantly settled in her arms and latched onto her breast. _He must have been starving! _Emma thought to herself as her son began happily sucking away. Her fingers soothingly traced over her baby's rosy cheeks and soft hair. Her eyes slowly began to close as her head fell back against Neal chest.

Her face frowned a little when Henry tugged a little too hard. "Slow down kid…" She whispered.

Her eyes slowly began to open again as she looked up at Neal. "What?" She asked when she noticed he was staring down at her with his eyes wide open.

"Umm… Nothing!" He stuttered, realizing he had been caught staring at her chest.

"Nothing? Really?" She asked again as a small smile crept onto her face.

"It's just… I'm not used to sharing you." He winked as his famous cheeky grin appeared on his face.

Her eyes widen in shock. Lucky for him she did not have the energy too playfully slap him for being so crude. Instead she just blushed at his comment which caused him to chuckle. She was still getting use to the idea of breast feeding and being half naked so often.

She was just about to open her mouth to scold him when his lips covered her, kissing her softly. Neal reached out with his hand and cupped her cheek. He was careful to not to disturb their son.

_Damn it! Why did he have to be so charming! _Emma thought to herself. Neal always had a way to stop her being mad at him.

It did not take long for the kiss to grow deeper and more passionate. Emma groaned in pain a little as she pulled away. Henry was obviously trying to get her attention back, he was not happy at being ignored.

"Hey buddy, stop hurting you Mommy." Neal playfully scolded his son making Emma laugh.

Emma started to coax Henry into letting go. Neal groaned a little in frustration which only made her laugh even more. He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked down at his son. He watched as she gently rocked Henry to sleep in her arms. Their son slowly began to close his eyes.

"I'll put the little guy back to bed then we can carry on where we left off." He huskily whispered into her ear.

Emma sighed. "You know it's too soon right?" She replied. Even though she wanted him as much as he wanted her, she couldn't, not yet anyway.

Neal nodded. He knew Emma needed time but he couldn't stop the disappointment on his face.

"Maybe we can stay like this a little longer?" Emma asked. She was content to stay in Neal's arms with their son cradled against her chest. Feeling Neal's lips kiss her shoulder was the only answer she needed. She relaxed again against his body.

Neal moved his hand up and softly stroked Henry tiny palm with his finger. They both smiled when their son's little hand wrapped around his father's finger.

"But we can soon though, right?" Neal asked again. Emma's soft laughter was not exactly the answer he wanted to hear.

"I don't know." She grinned at him when she noticed he was being serious.

Neal pulled the blankets up over them. He felt Emma slowly drift off to sleep in his arms. "I love both of you so much." He whispered as he looked down at his family in his arms. He knew he could stay like this was forever, well until Henry decided to wake again.


End file.
